High pressure, Dizzy.

[planger1]

My first post.
I just received my S9 Escape. My machine is set at 17. The person who did my test said he set it that high to stop my snoring. At the time I thought that was great, the nice man is going to stop my snoring.
Well I picked up my machine and the first thing the lady said who delivered my machine was, "the pressure seems a little high."
OK, I took a nap with my machine on and I noticed 3 things that concern me.

1. When the pressure got to full pressure it started to leak air around my cheeks. my cheeks also puffed out like I was blowing a horn.

2. I had to tighten it down so it would not leak causing my face to hurt.

3. When I took it off I got really dizzy for a minute or two.

Maybe all this stuff will fix itself, but I would love some input.

[justMongo]

1 & 2 are common. You'll adjust.
3 less common; but possible. The CPAP pressure could possibly upset the balance in the middle ear.

Many people run pressures higher than 17. And 17 means centimeters of water. It's the same pressure you would feel submerged in 17 cm of water -- that's only 6.6 inches of water. People have higher ear pressure in a swimming pool.

I assume your provider (doctor or technician) went through the short list for which CPAP is contraindicated.

severe bullous lung disease
pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum
pathologically low blood pressure, particularly if associated with intravascular volume depletion
dehydration
cerebrospinal fluid leak, recent cranial surgery, or trauma.

[PsychoMike]

Planger1, Mongo is quite right...1 and 2 are common at higher pressures. There will be an adjustment period that may involve "just grinning and bearing it" or a gradual progression up to your full therapeutic pressure. If they don't settle down or are being a real pain, talk to your provider about some options.

I would ask if you have issues when you fly or do you have any issues with swallowing? The reason I ask is that your ears are connected to your throat through little tubes. If the pressure isn't draining off at the same rate (i.e. one side is naturally tight or gets blocked by excess secretions in your throat), it can throw off your balance / make you dizzy until the pressures normalize. Could be related to #3...but then again, I'm an engineer, not a doctor, dangit (gotta get my reverse Bones quote in there somehow )

[planger1]

Thank you for your input.
My Doc. and provider did not talk to me about short list for which CPAP is contraindicated.
I do have some post nasal drip. The Doc gave me a nose spray to help.
When I fly I don't get dizzy but my ears do pop and hurt. I will sometimes be deaf for a while after landing.

I'm going to give this some time. I have been a mess lately. Trouble breathing, shortness of breath, low energy, very little sleep and I often wake up not breathing and it scares the hell out of me.

What I have found out is, I don't have COPD (Yea), I do have Asama and obviously I have mild to moderate sleep apnea. My hope is this cpap machine is going to help me sleep, breath at night, give me more energy, and give us all world peace.

[PsychoMike]

Planger1, the popping ears that hurt / deafness on landing sound like it could definitely be related....so too could the asthma (I speak from experience). I'd suggest a visit to your doc about it...could be something up with the tube from ears to throat or it could be a persistent inflammation in your airway (asthma related) (or both) that are contributing. May be worthwhile checking out.

[trish6hundred]

Hi planger1,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
CPAP therapy can take some getting used to. If you keep having problems with dizziness, you might want to mention it to your Dr.
Hang in there for more suggestions and best of luck to you with your CPAP therapy.

[planger1]

Thank you all. I'll check back tonight and snoop around the site.

[justMongo]

When I fly I don't get dizzy but my ears do pop and hurt. I will sometimes be deaf for a while after landing.

That's normal. Changes in air pressure can move the small bones in the ear slightly out of place; they are the conduction path from the tympanic membrane and the cochlea; they return to normal.

The Eustacia are tubes to the middle ear.
I suggest you read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustacian_t...ualization

Pressure in the inner ear usually does not affect the semi-circulatory canals that are important to balance and spatial orientation. It could cause calcium crystals to be displaced and affect your sense of balance.

I start my sleep process listening to music through headphones. I notice if I swallow just right, I must open the path to my Eustacia as the volume seems to diminish.

[PaytonA]

Welcome to the forum Plunger1.

Depends on the kind of "dizzy" we are talking about. If by dizzy, one means loss of balance then this can be caused by pressure behind the eardrum. Happens to me on occasion although not from CPAP. Once the pressure relieves the balance returns.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

[zonk]

My first post.
I just received my S9 Escape. My machine is set at 17. The person who did my test said he set it that high to stop my snoring.

Any decent doctor would prescribe data capable machine for his/her patients. S9 Escape models including S9 Escape Auto are not data capable machine, S9 AutoSet and S9 Elite are data capable machines.
Without efficacy data such as apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and leak information/mask fit, you have no way of knowing if you,re receiving the proper treatment of whether the treatment is effective

People on high pressure would benefits with auto-PAP, from ResMed: http://www.resmed.com/au/service_and_sup...c=patients

AutoSet devices adjust pressure on a breath-by-breath basis to suit patient needs as they change throughout the night. As a result, patients receive the minimum pressure required for effective therapy. The lower average pressures improve comfort, reduce pressure-related side effects, and lead to more consistent use of therapy.